Supermarine Walrus: common engines and flexible roles

R. J. Mitchell designed the Supermarine Walrus, which first flew in 1933 and entered service in 1935; 740 were built. If the Seafire is counted as a Spitfire variant, the Walrus may have been Supermarine's most-produced wartime aircraft after the Spitfire. British, Irish, Australian, and New Zealand services used it for shipborne and amphibious reconnaissance. Retractable landing gear allowed it to operate from aircraft carriers as well as water. The Walrus shared its engine with the Swordfish, so stores could hold a larger stock of one engine instead of smaller stocks for incompatible aircraft. That common engine supported aircraft used for torpedo attack, spotting, reconnaissance, and amphibious reconnaissance. The Walrus's 520-nautical-mile range was modest, yet it could carry bombs or depth charges. Flexible basing and straightforward support mattered as much as outright performance.